


Epistolary (Kind Of)

by TheEveling



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Don't Worry About It, Drinking, Epistolary, Explicit Language, M/M, Michael and Ray go on a brodate, Michael-centric, Multi, Protective Geoff Ramsey, Ray says no homo, a little violence just at the end there, it's fine, kind of, there is also some solid Mavin in here because Gavin is affectionate and likes to climb Michael
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 23:41:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9630113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEveling/pseuds/TheEveling
Summary: Epistolary - told through letters.Or, in this case, chat rooms, a brodate, and a New York City hotel room."It sounds nice," Gavin agrees, smiling contagiously. "You're my boi...friend, Michael. Boyfriend."





	

June 10

BrownMan: Dude, do you mind if I add someone for this game?  
MLP Michael: Not really  
-MM: If it’s another guy you met playing Halo I'll kill both of you

BrownMan has added GavinoFree to a chat.

BrownMan: Hey, man  
GavinoFree: We playing Halo again?  
MLP Michael: Ray  
-MM: I will fucking murder you  
GavinoFree: You're a pleasant fellow. You're Michael?  
MLP Michael: No shit.  
BrownMan: Ladies, you're both beautiful  
-BM: Halo?  
GavinoFree: Absolutely.  
MLP Michael: Fine, but no bullshit  
-MM: I'm calling you on it this time  
BrownMan is calling you...

Call ended 2:01 AM.

 

You have a contact request from GavinoFree.  
Contact request accepted.

 

June 12

GavinoFree: Do you lot want to play Halo?  
BrownMan: Give me ten minutes for lunch  
MLP Michael: You mean another grilled cheese?  
BrownMan: shut up you cant cook either  
-BM: typing with one hand hold on  
MLP Michael: I can cook more than grilled cheese. Macaroni and cheese takes skill  
GavinoFree: I'm having casserole for lunch in a bit.  
MLP Michael: In a bit? Isn't England like, six hours later than us or something?  
GavinoFree: I don't live in England. What gave you that idea?  
MLP Michael: Your accent, idiot  
GavinoFree: Nah, I moved to America a while back. I live with my boyfriends and their friend.  
BrownMan: Okay, done eating. You shitheads online?  
GavinoFree: I'll be there.  
MLP Michael: Give me a sec  
GavinoFree is calling you...  
MLP Michael: I said give me a sec, asshole  
GavinoFree is calling you...

Call ended 2:14 PM.

 

June 16

GavinoFree: Do you lot mind if my boyfriend plays a round with us?  
MLP Michael: He any good?  
GavinoFree: You could say that.  
BrownMan: I'm down, man  
MLP Michael: Sure, whatever  
GavinoFree: Call in a few minutes?  
MLP Michael: Fine

GavinoFree is calling you...

Call ended 3:15 AM.

You have a contact request from DG Geoff.

 

June 18

GavinoFree: Jack wants to play Halo with us.  
MLP Michael: Who the fuck is Jack  
GavinoFree: Geoff's boyfriend. He's great at Halo! He's wanted to play with us since Geoff played last time.  
MLP Michael: Us, or us?  
GavinoFree: All five of us. Are you in?  
BrownMan: Dude, I'm eating. Give me a minute  
-BM: Start the call without me  
GavinoFree is calling you...

Call ended 12:35 AM.

 

Contact request accepted.

You have a contact request from JackP.  
Contact request accepted.

 

June 21

GavinoFree has added you and three other people to a chat.

GavinoFree: We needed a group. You lot keep using me to talk to each other.  
DG Geoff: You were convenient  
MLP Michael: I have enough to pay fucking attention to with our group chat, christ  
JackP: Hey, guys!  
BrownMan: I'm just trying to eat a sandwich, man  
DG Geoff: Are you always fucking eating?  
MLP Michael: Usually it's pizza  
GavinoFree: Ray, you should try Geoff's cooking.  
JackP: I'm wounded, Gavin.  
GavinoFree: I love your cooking, Jack, but have you tried Geoff's alfredo sauce?  
DG Geoff: I'll make all you babies alfredo sauce if you shut the fuck up  
GavinoFree: Right now? For dinner?  
JackP: That's a great plan.  
DG Geoff: Fuck off. We're having Chinese for dinner and you know it  
GavinoFree: I love you, Geoffrey :)  
MLP Michael: Jesus, get a room  
DG Geoff: You got a problem?  
MLP Michael: Dude, Gavin talks about you guys all the time. I hear enough about your sex life without experiencing it, thanks  
BrownMan: No homo  
MLP Michael: Thanks, Ray  
BrownMan: No problem  
DG Geoff: I thg  
-DG: Hold on  
JackP: While they're arguing, I’m just going to ask  
-JP: Are you a homophobe, Michael?  
MLP Michael: Fuck no, dude. I'm bi as shit.  
BrownMan: didnt bat an eye when Gavin started talking about living with his boyfriends. Hes cool  
DG Geoff: Fucking crust  
-DG: Chrudt*  
-DG: Whatever. You're cool, dude?  
MLP Michael: A little offended you assumed I hate gay people, but cool, sure  
DG Geoff: What did you want me to assume?  
MLP Michael: Give me the benefit of the doubt, maybe. I don't know, man  
GavinoFree: It doesn't matter, you mingesausages.  
MLP Michael: What the fuck  
BrownMan: Let's just agree to be gay and forget about it  
DG Geoff: Sounds like a plan.  
GavinoFree: Halo tonight?  
JackP: Ryan will be home. He's been wondering who you guys are.  
BrownMan: I'm not ready to meet your scary boyfriend  
GavinoFree: He's not scary!  
JackP: He's a nerd.  
DG Geoff: And he probably isn't our boyfriend.  
MLP Michael: "Probably"  
DG Geoff: Yeah, whatever. Halo after dinner?  
BrownMan: Hit me up  
MLP Michael: Sure

JackP: You guys ready?  
MLP Michael: I can be  
BrownMan: I am  
GavinoFree: Call?  
JackP is calling you...

Call ended 1:09 AM.

 

June 22

Gavino Free has added BM Vagabond to a chat.

You have a contact request from BM Vagabond.  
Contact request accepted.

BM Vagabond: Do I have everyone?  
MLP Michael: I can't believe you made an account for this shit, dude  
BM Vagabond: It's a little important if we're going to meet up at some point.  
MLP Michael: Geoff was serious about that?  
-MM: He was drunk  
JackP: Geoff drinks a lot.  
BrownMan: We can tell  
GavinoFree: We could meet up halfway? Where do you lot live?  
BrownMan: New York.  
MLP Michael: New Jersey  
JackP: We could meet up in Georgia, bring Ryan back to his roots :)  
BM Vagabond: Don't you dare.  
-BV: Geoff's up. Incoming, Jack.  
-BV: Wouldn’t halfway be somewhere in Tennessee?  
DG Geoff: Not the greatest place for a meetup of a bunch of dudes who are gay as dicks  
BM Vagabond: Ignoring the blatant inaccuracies of that statement, neither is Georgia.  
DG Geoff: Looks like everything between us is the south, if you know what I mean.  
MLP Michael: Yeah, that’s pretty shit  
GavinoFree: Plane tickets?  
BrownMan: Hey, man, I work at GameStop  
GavinoFree: No, for us, you donut. Geoff?  
JackP: I don’t see why not :)  
BM Vagabond: It could be done.  
DG Geoff: Call?  
DG Geoff is calling you…

Call ended 4:20 PM.  
BrownMan: Blaze it

 

June 24

DG Geoff: Halo tonight?  
MLP Michael: Something else we can play?  
GavinoFree: Do you have Minecraft?  
BrownMan: No Minecraft. I’m never playing that game again.  
DG Geoff: Left 4 Dead?  
MLP Michael: Sounds good to me  
BrownMan: Sure, man

DG Geoff is calling you…

Call ended 12:09 AM.

 

June 26

GavinoFree: Less than a month until we visit!  
BM Vagabond: We all know you’re only going to frolic in the park with the ducks, Gavin.  
JackP: And only you would use the word “frolic” to describe anything Gavin does, Ryan.  
MLP Michael: Is he making the bird noises yet?  
DG Geoff: Oh yeah.

BM Vagabond: Left 4 Dead after lunch?  
BrownMan: I’m down  
MLP Michael: I’ve got nothing better to do  
BM Vagabond: I’ll take that as a yes, then.

BM Vagabond is calling you…

Call ended 7:18 PM.

 

June 27

BrownMan: Dude, do you have the fourth off?  
MLP Michael: For once in my life, yeah  
BrownMan: Brodate v2?  
MLP Michael: Fuck yeah, dude. I’ll be there at eleven

 

July 4

“Alright, fuck you,” Michael says as some dude in douchebag sunglasses bumps into him.

“Maybe later,” Ray replies without looking back. Michael can hear his grin. “You going to piss off the employees again?”

“When have I not pissed off the employees?” Michael scoffs, following as closely as he can without getting in Ray’s personal space. Okay, maybe a little bit in his personal space. He’s not interested in getting lost in Times Square.

“That’s fair,” Ray concedes, sparing a glance over his shoulder. “Dude. You act like you’ve never been here before.”

Michael happens to cast his glare in Ray’s direction. “You’re a piece of shit.”

Ray shakes his head, slowing a little to walk at Michael’s side. “Man, I think it’s brodate time.”

“Fuck yeah, brodate number two,” Michael replies with a mischievous grin, slinging an arm around Ray’s shoulders. They pass a Five Guys and walk through the doors of Dave and Buster’s, and they’re waiting for their food when Michael decides to check the group chat.

MLP Michael: Hey Gavin, you’re from England, right? Happy Independence Day, bitch  
GavinoFree: Happy birthday, you American prick.  
JackP: You guys should have come to the cookout. Gavin pushed a guy in American flag trunks into the pool.  
GavinoFree: He bumped into me!  
MLP Michael: I bet he had his phone in his pocket. That’s a low blow, boi  
BrownMan: Fuckin merked.  
BM Vagabond: Everything’s still fine for us to visit on the twenty-fifth, right?  
BrownMan: We’re not going anywhere, man  
DG Geoff: Yeah, where the fuck are you guys? You missed some quality Gavin.  
MLP Michael: Ray and I went on a brodate instead of going to your lame cookout.  
BrownMan: Pics or it didn’t happen  
(You have attached a photo.)  
GavinoFree: What the hell Mikey? You didn’t tell us you’re cute!  
MLP Michael: Okay, first of all, never call me that again  
-MM: Second of all, have we seriously never sent anything in this group?  
BM Vagabond: Looks like Michael and Ray have been holding out on us.  
DG Geoff: u  
JackP: I think Geoff needs a drink.  
DG Geoff: Fuck you, Jack  
-DG: HORSE tomorrow?  
BrownMan: I’ve got work until four.  
MLP Michael: I have work until six, but I’ll see what I can do

 

July 5

JackP: You guys home?  
BrownMan: I’m having dinner, but I’ll be done in a few.  
MLP Michael: I’m fucking beat, man. I might sit this one out  
GavinoFree: Please, Michael? You could just join the call.  
MLP Michael: I can hear it from here, Christ  
-MM: Fine. Give me ten minutes to get my shit together

DG Geoff is calling you…  
Call ended 2:01 AM.

 

July 11

DG Geoff has attached a photo.  
MLP Michael: FUCK  
-MM: SAVING THAT SHIT FOR BLACKMAIL  
BrownMan: I think he’s actually a pretzel. Michael is his salt  
BM Vagabond: He’s the salt to Gavin’s pretzel?  
MLP Michael: Fuck you guys  
JackP: Geoff, he’s going to kill you when he wakes up.  
DG Geoff: Not if I delete the photo first.  
-DG: I’d like to see him try, anyway.

GavinoFree: WHAT DID HE SEND  
MLP Michael: Gavin, you even sleep like an idiot.  
DG Geoff: MICHAEL  
JackP: He’s fending him off with a broom. This is impressive. (JackP has attached a photo.)  
BM Vagabond: It isn’t working very well. (BM Vagabond has attached a photo.)  
BrownMan: Come on, guys, not all at once.  
MLP Michael: We were holding out on you? What the fuck is this shit?  
BrownMan: Also, Michael likes tattoos  
MLP Michael: Fuck off, Ray  
JackP: We’ll let you know if he lives.

 

July 12

BM Vagabond: Best bars in New York City. Go.  
MLP Michael: Who you fuckin asking, dude? Ray doesn’t drink  
BM Vagabond: Alright, noted. Best restaurants in New York City that serve alcohol?  
BrownMan: Is this about Geoff?  
GavinoFree: He can’t go a day without a glass. Rubbish.  
BrownMan: Alright, well there’s this great fuckin tavern place called Radegast Hall that’s called a beer garden or some shit.  
MLP Michael: Biergarden, Ray  
-MM: Barcelona Bar does some fancy shit with fire, too  
-MM: Maybe it isn’t a good idea to bring Gavin to that one  
GavinoFree: I’ll have you know I can behave myself around fire.  
MLP Michael: Yeah, but the temptation to light you on fire will be real  
BM Vagabond: He looks absolutely stunned.  
MLP Michael: Serves him right. He shouldn’t have pushed that unsuspecting American into the pool on his birthday  
GavinoFree: America’s birthday!  
MLP Michael: Whatever, man, I don’t make the rules  
BrownMan: Ladies, you’re both beautiful.  
MLP Michael: Didn’t we do this already?  
BrownMan: Halo?  
MLP Michael: Fuck you  
-MM: I’m down for a few rounds  
GavinoFree: Count me in.  
BM Vagabond: I’m going to sit this one out, guys, since I’m in the middle of planning, but I’m sure I’ll be able to hear you murdering Gavin from here.  
GavinoFree is calling you…

Call ended 10:13 PM.

 

July 15

DG Geoff: Ten days, boys. Are you ready?  
BrownMan: My anus is ready.  
MLP Michael: Do I have to?  
GavinoFree: You get days off to see us, Michael!  
MLP Michael: I could totally just stay home and play Ratchet and Clank and eat pizza, dude  
BrownMan: I’ll give you everything in my wallet for a piece of pizza.  
MLP Michael: Keep your lint to yourself  
-MM: But maybe I’ll be over later if I can catch the train  
GavinoFree: No fair. You get to see each other all the bloody time :(  
MLP Michael: Yeah, and all four of you guys live together. Definitely not fair  
JackP: Point taken.  
DG Geoff: Well the tall guys have to stick together.  
MLP Michael: Alright, fuck you  
GavinoFree: Michael is offline?  
-GF: Michael?  
BrownMan: Geoff, I think he’s walking to Austin to strangle you.  
-BM: He’ll get distracted by your tattoos, though, don’t worry about it  
MLP Michael: You guys are shitheads  
DG Geoff: Lovable shitheads.  
MLP Michael: Well, maybe Jack  
GavinoFree: Michael, boi. Michael.  
MLP Michael: Gavin.  
GavinoFree: How come you make Jack smile but you never say you love me, boi?  
MLP Michael: I said he’s lovable, Gavin, he’s a fucking teddy bear with a murderous streak  
-MM: You’re my boi, though  
BrownMan: No homo  
DG Geoff: You guys should get your own hotel room, instead. Jack, Ryan, and I will keep the suite for ourselves.  
GavinoFree: We can have teams!  
DG Geoff: Not this shit again.  
GavinoFree: Michael! We can be Team Nice Dynamite because I’m nice and you’re a prick!  
BrownMan: Impressive.  
JackP: Everyone ends up with team names eventually. I’m surprised it’s taken him this long.  
DG Geoff: Don’t worry, it only gets worse.  
-DG: Michael, you could actually stay in the hotel room with us.  
MLP Michael: Just thinking about that feels like super intruding, dude  
GavinoFree: No, Michael, we wouldn’t mind!  
JackP: We sleep in the same bed all the time anyways. Ryan’s the only one who doesn’t always, and that’s because he doesn’t sleep.  
DG Geoff: The fucker.  
JackP: Even if Ryan wants to take the other bed, there’s a pullout.  
MLP Michael: Have you been plotting this?  
JackP: Absolutely not.  
GavinoFree: Yes!  
BM Vagabond: We wouldn’t mind, Michael, and you wouldn’t have to take the train in every day.  
DG Geoff: Yeah, make our lives easier.  
JackP: And we would feel better, honestly. The thought of you getting into an accident trying to get into the city every day to see us isn’t a good one.  
MLP Michael: I can take care of myself.  
BM Vagabond: We know.  
-BV: Sometimes you should let other people take care of you, too.  
MLP Michael: This is fucked  
-MM: Fine  
GavinoFree: Michael boi, you should come meet us at the airport, then!  
BrownMan: Bring a sign that says “welcome, dick patrol”  
MLP Michael: Wouldn’t that just make getting to your hotel harder?  
BM Vagabond: We’ll have to take two taxis anyways. Gavin doesn’t know the meaning of “We’re only staying for three days, pack lightly.”  
MLP Michael: Sure, I guess  
-MM: Shit, that means I have to pack  
BM Vagabond: It wouldn’t hurt to bring something slightly formal, if you know what I mean.  
MLP Michael: Ryan, I own a single polo shirt. That’s the best you’re going to get  
BrownMan: He refuses to wear it even on our brodates. Good luck, dude.  
JackP: Wow, Michael, you’re even holding out on Ray?  
MLP Michael: Fuck off. I’ll wear the fucking shirt  
BM Vagabond: :)

 

July 17

GavinoFree: You lot have time for Halo tonight?  
MLP Michael: Hell yeah, dude. It’s been a while  
BrownMan: I’m down  
GavinoFree: We might have everyone home, so it should be a party!  
MLP Michael: I’m not sure that’s a good thing  
GavinoFree: I’ll message you when we’re ready :)

BM Vagabond: I don’t think Gavin will be playing tonight. He’s had some drinks and is not very coherent.  
DG Geoff: We totally can, though. Fuck that dude.  
MLP Michael: I mean, sure  
BrownMan: I’ll join the call when I’m done with my pizza.  
DG Geoff is calling you…

Call ended 11:53 PM.

 

July 21

JackP: Michael, have you packed, yet?  
BrownMan: He hasn’t started yet, I can guarantee it  
BM Vagabond: Good. I was about to send him a packing list.  
DG Geoff: Ryan, man, you need to calm down.  
-DG: I’m sure he knows how to pack a bag.  
BrownMan: I mean, it wouldn’t hurt for the extra stuff. He isn’t a social dude  
-BM: Also wouldn’t hurt to tell him what your plans are for the trip, because he’s not really into surprises.  
JackP: He seems pretty social to me. Does he just not like strangers?  
BrownMan: You caught him playing Halo. The only way to get close to Michael is to harass him until he yells at you, then make fun of him for it  
MLP Michael: That’s not true. I also like that cute waitress at the diner across from work because she’s an asshole  
BrownMan: She called you a pansy for ordering your eggs well done and said you’re an asshole for drinking three cups of coffee in one breakfast  
MLP Michael: Yeah, but she was a good guy about it  
DG Geoff: I don’t see how this is any different from Halo.  
MLP Michael: Shut up Geoff  
(JackP has attached a photo.)  
MLP Michael: Oh shit you’re in a suit  
BrownMan: That’s hot.  
JackP: We’re going out for fancy dinner as soon as Gavin is done fighting Ryan about a tie.  
MLP Michael: I like that even though you’re in a fancy sweater, you still have your sleeves rolled up, Geoff  
DG Geoff: You would ;)  
BrownMan: Wow, called out  
-BM: You clean up nice too, Jack  
JackP: Thank you, Ray.  
-JP: I think Gavin’s stopped whining. Ryan’s still yelling, but he doesn’t sound as tired.  
(GavinoFree has attached a photo.)  
MLP Michael: Gavin in a suit. Not something I thought I’d ever see  
GavinoFree: You like what you see, boi?  
MLP Michael: I’d still strangle you  
GavinoFree: :(  
BM Vagabond: Alright, Michael, I’ve emailed you a packing list so you can take a look while we’re out. I’ll answer any questions you have tonight.  
MLP Michael: Will do, man  
DG Geoff: If we don’t come home and immediately fall asleep, we’ll probably talk to you guys later.  
BrownMan: Use a condom, kids

 

July 24

GavinoFree: MICHAEL  
-GF: MICHAEL WAKE UP  
-GF: MICHAEL BOI  
MLP Michael: What the fuck?  
GavinoFree: ARE YOU PACKED?  
MLP Michael: I can’t believe you woke me up for this shit. I packed yesterday  
GavinoFree: HAPPY ACTUAL BIRTHDAY BOI  
DG Geoff: SURPRISE BITCH WE’RE GETTING ON A PLANE TODAY  
MLP Michael: What the fuck  
-MM: I HAVE WORK UNTIL TWO  
JackP: We know. Our plane gets in at four :)  
MLP Michael: You guys are dicks  
-MM: How long have you been planning to show up a day early?  
DG Geoff: Since we found out today is your birthday.  
JackP: We did actually plan on the twenty-fifth until Gavin happened to ask you when your birthday is and Ray told him, and we decided to make it a surprise.  
MLP Michael: Does Ray know you guys are showing up today?  
GavinoFree: He’s known the whole time :)  
DG Geoff: We’ve been corresponding with him for a while. Had a hard time not telling you, actually. Didn’t tell us you don’t like surprises until like two days ago, so, surprise.  
MLP Michael: Scratch that, you guys are dickheads  
JackP: Happy birthday, Michael.  
MLP Michael: Thanks, Jack  
-MM: I need to get ready for work. I’ll see you guys later  
GavinoFree: Literally :)

BM Vagabond: Wear your fancy polo here, Michael.  
DG Geoff: You’ll know it’s us. Just look for Gavin’s outfit. (DG Geoff has attached a photo.)

MLP Michael: I’m going home to change and grab my bag, then I’ll get on the 2:30 train. I should be there early, but who the fuck knows  
-MM: Pink shorts, Gavin, really?

GavinoFree: Shut up, you sausage.  
JackP: We’re off the plane, obviously. We’ll get our luggage and meet you out there.

 

Michael pockets his phone when no other messages come, adjusting the bag on his shoulder with one hand and wiping the sweat on the other on his jeans. He’s definitely not nervous.

Them springing this on him hadn’t really given him the time he’d counted on to come to terms with them visiting.

It’s a long-awaited visit, yeah, but since the incident this winter, he hasn’t been comfortable in the city, and he clearly isn’t going to start now. He manages to almost forget this as they walk through the automatic doors in all their glory, and bends down to pick up the shitty sign he’s made. It reads “Welcome back from rehab!" and he holds it up with a proud grin.

Geoff leads them in, but Gavin decides to sprint across the room as soon as he spots Michael. Michael is not prepared for Gavin to drop the suitcase he’s rolling and leap to wrap around him, but he manages to remain standing by dropping the sign and his bag and settling a stabilizing hand at Gavin’s waist.

“Enthusiastic, Gavin?” Michael asks, grinning despite himself. His new leech leans back a little to smile.

“We’re here, Michael!” Yes, he is certainly enthusiastic. “It’s bloody brilliant!”

“I need to take a shit,” Geoff announces as the remaining three catch up to Gavin, rolling his bag to a stop beside Michael and walking off toward the restrooms. One of the bags Ryan is rolling matches Gavin’s. It probably is Gavin’s.

“What a greeting,” Michael grins, not realizing he’s still holding onto Gavin until he’s pulling away to pout at Ryan.

“Can I give it to him now?”

“The airport probably isn’t the best place to fuck me in the ass, Gavin,” Michael says, still grinning. It isn’t real yet that they’re here, but he’s relaxed a fucking lot regardless...staying in the city for three nights might not be so bad. He trusts these guys a little more than he probably should, granted, but that’s still a trust he thinks he can count on.

“Wait until we’re at the hotel, Gavin, we talked about this,” Ryan replies, but it isn’t as sternly as he would clearly like it to sound. He’s smiling, too, and it isn’t because Gavin is complaining at him. They’re all clearly a little giddy about being here.

“Is Ray meeting us there?” Michael asks as Gavin turns back to him and slumps dramatically against his shoulder. Michael pats his back in mock reassurance.

“Yeah, he’s meeting us at the hotel, and we’re walking from there,” Jack replies before Ryan can, which earns him an arched eyebrow. “He said it would be easier than trying to meet at the restaurant.”

Michael nods as Geoff emerges from the bathroom, hands in his pockets. “Probably. Where’s your hotel?”

“Your hotel, too, Michael,” Gavin mumbles into his shoulder. He ignores him.

“The Hilton in Times Square,” Ryan supplies. “Where we’re eating is supposed to be a surprise, but…”

“I think we can spare him that much,” Jack argues as Geoff finally reaches Michael and slings an arm over the shoulder not already occupied by Gavin.

“We’re eating at The View, kid,” Geoff offers casually.

“Are you all brain surgeons, or something?” Michael asks, regarding them with suspicion. The Hilton, aside from being in, you know, Times Square, is a four-star hotel so it can’t exactly be cheap, and Michael knows for a fact The View is not cheap in any sense of the word. It’s a fucking spinning restaurant on the forty-eighth floor with four dollar signs in its Google listing.

It’d been obvious they have money, but what the fuck?

“Something like that,” Jack chuckles, and no one makes an attempt to explain further, so Michael bends down to pick up his bag. Gavin, having all of his weight on Michael, nearly takes a nice tumble, but catches himself before he can faceplant.

Geoff picks up the sign with a grin and says, “You made this, Michael? You’re so sweet.”

“I know,” he replies with an innocent smile. “You don’t deserve me.”

After stuffing their luggage into the trunks of two taxis, Gavin drags Michael into one of them with Ryan and proceeds to ask him very personal questions for the duration of the ride to the hotel, which is unfortunately at least half an hour. He manages to deflect most of them, and in the process learns that Ryan used to be a model, much to the chagrin of Ryan himself.

Pulling up to the hotel brings a flurry of “get your bags, we have to check in,” and “which floor is the room on,” and “someone message Ray,” and Michael welcomes the distraction. He pulls out his phone to send a message in the group chat as he walks, hoping watching Gavin’s bag in front of him will keep him from crashing into anything.

MLP Michael: They didn’t die on the plane. We’re at the hotel, room 4004  
BrownMan: I’ll leave now.

A round of cheers go up as Jack cards the door open, and they all file into the lounge room of the suite, then disperse to find places for their shit. Ryan, always the gentleman, opens the door into the other room for Michael. The furniture looks comfortable enough, and Michael takes note of the coffee table he’ll have to move to pull the couch out into a bed in case he drinks a little too much at dinner.

Gavin’s just flopped down on top of Geoff on the couch when someone knocks on the door. Michael, being closest, opens it to find Ray on the other side.

“Hey, man,” he says, greeting him with a fist bump and stepping back to let him into the room. “That was fast.”

“I was ready to go for once,” he replies as he steps into the lounge and Michael closes the door. He takes in the room. “This is fucking weird. Are you sure this is real?”

Jack chuckles. “Yeah, I don’t think we’re actually here, either.”

“It hasn’t felt real since we got on the plane. Reckon it won’t for a long while,” Gavin pipes up. “Is it weird that we’ve only known each other for a month?”

Michael shares a glance with Ray. “It is for me, but only because I trust you guys way more than I should…it kind of isn’t a bad thing.”

Geoff looks like he wants to ruffle Michael’s hair, something close to affection in his voice. “We were worried you didn’t feel comfortable with us visiting, at first. You never sounded all that excited when we talked about it in calls, and when it first got brought up, you ignored it, but…I’m glad we’re here.”

“I'm glad you're here, now,” Michael replies as Geoff pushes Gavin from his lap and stands up.

“We need to get changed,” Ryan says as if he’s read Geoff’s mind, pushing off the desk he’s been leaning on. “Reservation’s at five-thirty. If you hear Gavin screaming, ignore him.”

Walking Times Square surrounded by a bunch of dudes in business casual is a little weird, and Michael feels like a few more people are staring at the group of six, many of whom are laughing boisterously at a joke Ray made, than he’s used to. He would’ve spared them a second glance, too – the ones who actually bothered look nice as hell – but being on the receiving end isn’t great, especially as his fashion choices aren’t exactly up to par compared to the rest of his group. He doesn’t give a shit about how he looks, but being stared at isn’t exactly on his to-do list.

Dinner is fucking great. Michael studiously does not look at the price of the three-course meal, and is certain he doesn’t want to look at the check based on how much of a tip Geoff leaves. They leave the restaurant – which is a bit disorienting, considering it’s spun about three-quarters of the way around since they’d arrived – laughing and for Michael, maybe a little tipsy. Geoff had ordered two bottles with complicated names from the wine menu, and most of them hadn’t hesitated to drink wine beside whatever other drinks they ordered. Ray, being the only one who hasn’t had any alcohol tonight, is probably high on the mood of the rest of the group.

“Ray, do you want to stay here tonight?” Jack asks once they’re back in the hotel room and almost quiet enough not to be heard by patrons in the neighboring suites. “I don't want you walking back in the dark even if you've done it before. We have plenty of room.”

He seems to consider it for a moment before nodding. “I’ll need to go home tomorrow to get shit, obviously, but sounds good to me.”

“Good,” Gavin says, suddenly very animated compared to his lazy couch posture. He looks to Michael, who is leaning against the counter of the kitchenette, then to Ryan. “Now can I give it to him?”

“I mean, you did take me out to dinner first,” Michael replies. “I think I’ll allow it.”

“Go ahead, Gavin,” Ryan says, grinning as Gavin propels himself from the couch into their bedroom. The sound of rustling as he obviously looks for something starts up soon enough.

“He getting the lube?” Ray deadpans, and Michael grins as Gavin bounds back into the lounge room to thrust a wrapped something into his hands.

“Is this a present?” Michael asks, frowning. “Christ, you guys bought plane tickets and dinner. I don’t need this shit, too.”

“It’s too late,” Geoff replies gleefully. “We already have presents and you’re going to like them.”

“Open it, Michael!” Gavin insists before he can complain some more. With a sigh, he rips the wrapping paper from the object and lets it unfold. A very red shirt with dynamite and a happy face on it peers back at him. It’s cute.

“Team Nice Dynamite, boi?” Michael asks, smiling at Gavin over the shirt.

“Team Nice Dynamite,” Gavin replies with a very excited grin, then turns to Geoff.

“Yours next?”

“Sure, buddy,” Geoff replies and Gavin’s gone again, back to the bedroom to retrieve whatever Geoff’s got for Michael. He has a feeling it’s going to be some shitty gag gift, like a giant whoopee cushion he will immediately use on Gavin.

By the time he’s done opening gifts like a “World’s Greatest Asshole” mug from Geoff and trying to smother Gavin with a ball of wrapping paper, Michael is no longer tipsy and is surprisingly tired instead. Obviously someone can tell, because Jack decides it’s time for him to go to bed in the other bedroom. Michael isn’t quite sure how it happens, maybe he’d asked him or maybe he hadn’t given him a choice, but Ray is laying under the comforter with him when he realizes where he is.

“I really like them,” Michael says, half-yawning. He shuts his eyes and tries not to fall asleep right away. He doesn’t succeed for very long.

“Me too, man,” Ray says, and Michael is asleep long asleep before he can hear what he says next. “I think they like us, too.”

 

July 25

They start the next day by sleeping in until noon. Well, not Ryan, they find as they enter the lounge to see him sitting at the desk, writing something, but the rest of the suite’s inhabitants are still asleep when they get that far at eleven-thirty. Ryan steps into the bedroom to wake them up at noon, saying “We have to leave in forty-five minutes, you’d better be up in five minutes or I’m leaving you here.”

Geoff emerges from the bedroom as Gavin rushes into the bathroom almost five minutes later. Jack enters the lounge and claims an armchair soon after that. By the time Gavin is done fucking with his hair and Geoff has finished his first beer of the day, Ryan is ushering them out the door.

“We’re going to Ray’s so he can get his shit, like we talked about last night, then we’ll get lunch, then we’ll go to the thing,” Ryan says as they step into an elevator. Michael has no memory of this discussion Ryan claims happened, but he brushes it off in favor of asking what “the thing” means.

“Sorry, Michael,” Ryan replies, not looking sorry at all. “This one is staying a secret.”

It turns out, Michael realizes as they leave Ray’s favorite pizzeria and make their way toward Hell’s Kitchen and Broadway, they are going to see a show. What the fuck show it is, he has no idea, but of course Ryan would have planned for one. They’re in New York City. They’re going to want to see something on Broadway.

They end up listening to Ryan describe his interest in musical theater in high school, and how a show had come out that he never got a chance to see because a trip to New York was just never in the plans, and how they’re bringing it back for a Broadway revival for a few months and this trip has fallen in the right spot for it, so forgive him for indulging himself and getting tickets for this musical.

Michael doesn’t care what they see, but he does like listening to Ryan talk about it. Whether that’s because he’s learning about his past or because his voice has a nice timbre, Michael doesn’t know, but he’s fine with it either way.

It’s when Geoff suggests they go to that biergarden Ray had mentioned for dinner that Michael gets nervous. If Geoff starts drinking now, well, that will definitely lead to Geoff drinking more later. Hopefully that will be in the hotel room instead of a dive, he thinks as the hostess seats them beneath a stone archway. Lunch goes well until Geoff says, “So, where was that bar you mentioned, Michael?”

When he’d supplied them with a location almost two weeks ago he hadn’t thought he’d be going with them. He could just head home early if they decided to head off to a bar and they would be none the wiser, but this situation had not crossed his mind when Geoff asked him to stay in the hotel room with them, and that mistake sure chose a great time to rear its ugly head.

Okay, time to make a stupid decision, he thinks as Ray touches his elbow. Michael isn’t going to keep them from going to the bar, and if he says he wants to go back to the hotel, someone will definitely come with him if not all of them, so he says, “Uh, eighth and fifty-fourth. We’d have to take taxis.” It’s not like he’s going to run into the guy at six PM on a Wednesday. He’s just being a paranoid piece of shit.

They finish their dinner and hail taxis. Michael rides with Geoff and Jack this time, and they’re walking through the front door of the bar by the time the other taxi pulls up to the curb.

Michael’s heart starts beating a little faster as Geoff’s tattooed hand pulls the door open, and he thinks he’ll be fine as soon as he’s inside, but it gets so much worse. I just won’t breathe, he decides, knowing it’s not a good way to deal with this issue and that he really should bring it up, but nothing’s actually gone wrong yet.

They get their drinks, Gavin ordering a Harry Potter shot when Michael says that’s the one that involves fire. It really is a spectacle, he remembers as the bartender wraps a Gryffindor scarf around her neck and begins shouting about spells, but he’s seen it before, so his gaze wanders.

When he sees the familiar figure enter the bar, his only thought is fuck, he found me.

His second thought is that yeah, he found you, but it’s not like he’s been looking for you for six months. He was drunk enough he probably doesn’t even remember the fight.

His third thought, as another guy steps through the door behind him, is holy shit his friend is with him I’m going to die.

Michael breaks away from the group currently fascinated with the shots that are on fire to blend into the crowd, and it isn’t hard considering how many people are there to observe what the bartender is doing, but there aren’t enough people there at six PM on a Wednesday to hide him completely from the door. Ray, being at the back of their group with Michael is the only one who notices him leave with a questioning call of his name, but he hears someone growl “Michael,” from the doorway, and he knows it isn’t one of his friends.

He quickens his pace toward the back of the bar, knowing he’s already made a slew of bad decisions and it can only go downhill from here, and knowing the guy will recognize him wherever he is in the crowd. There’s nowhere for him to go, and he knows that, too, but he keeps going to give himself some time, leaning in toward the bar and attempting to flag down a spare bartender. Unfortunately, both of them are occupied.

“Michael,” the man breathes down his neck, grabbing his shoulder in a vice-like grip to pull him away from the bar counter. The music is loud enough that he can barely tell what the guy is saying. Michael is briefly glad Ray didn’t follow him as he’s pulled farther back in the darkness of the very rear of the bar to be pinned against the wall. He casts his gaze toward the front of the bar for just a moment. He can’t even see Ryan or Jack through the bodies despite the light filtering through the storefront window. “We have unfinished business.”

“Who are you again? Fred?” Michael sneers. He knows he’s in a bad spot, but he also knows this guy is both a bad fighter and way too arrogant for his own good. If he can get him fired up, he has a better chance of getting him sloppy and getting out of this encounter unharmed. “You have to pay someone else to fight for you still? I thought you learned your lesson in January.”

“Unharmed” might have been a little preemptive, because the guy’s grip on his shoulders tightens painfully.

“David. I was wasted then,” he replies, smile a little too wide for Michael’s liking. “Nothing to stop me now.”

Michael ducks out of the way when the guy lifts a fist to box in his ear, having been temporarily distracted trying to make sure no one he knows followed them back here. He’s pretty sure the only one who could take them on is Geoff, and Geoff had been three shots deep last time Michael had seen him. Unfortunately, he’s his own best chance.

He springs back up to land a solid uppercut to David’s jaw, and it sends the guy reeling back in surprised pain. His friend doesn’t make a move on Michael, only grabbing the guy’s arm to keep him on his feet. Michael doesn’t make an attempt to escape. He knows it’s now or later, and he'd like to get it over with, thanks.

The guy rushes back toward him, seemingly recovered, but so does his friend, eyes locked on Michael. Guy takes advantage of his distraction to take a swipe at him, but Michael focuses on him, grabbing his arm mid-swing and twisting it at what must be a painful angle. Guy tries to pull away, grimacing, but Michael pulls him a step closer to break his nose with the heel of his hand. David stumbles back with a gasp and looks to his friend, who advances toward mih.

Now that the weaker guy’s had enough, it’s time for a real challenge. This guy Michael knows for a fact can fight - he’d beaten Michael’s ass when he won a fight against David in this bar six months ago. Michael has enough violent encounters under his belt to beat someone like broken-nose guy easily, but, unfortunately, he’s a little out of practice, and the way this guy immediately steps toward him to punch his eye in surprises him. He takes a stabilizing step back, unwilling to end up on his ass in front of friend guy, and winces through the pain. That’s going to look nasty, he decides.

He doesn’t know where to go from there. He and friend guy are sizing each other up, Michael knowing this guy will just counter whatever he does next and friend guy probably deciding what to aim for next, but stalemates are never good in a fight. They lead to poorly executed swings and awkward footing.

Fuck it, he thinks, moving in when the moment is at its worst to take the guy by surprise, hitting him in the solar plexus to knock the wind out of him. It only works halfway, almost stunning him for a few seconds, but it gives Michael the advantage he needs to land a solid hit on his ear, where it won’t leave lasting damage but it hurts like a bitch. He’s about to break this guy’s nose, too, when David lands a solid one to his ribs and he stumbles to the side, pushing away from the chairs to end up closer to the wall. David’s contribution gives his friend a chance to recover, and soon he’s pinning Michael painfully against the wall, fist in the air. He’s clearly about to do something with it when someone grabs his wrist and rips him away from the wall, practically throwing the guy into the chairs that aren’t really lined up against the bar anymore.

“Michael,” someone says, stepping in front of him and resting their hands on his face. “Are you good?”

Michael’s tunnel vision on friend guy dissolves to focus on Ray standing in front of him as Ryan holds the guy at a distance in the background, having clearly rescued him from a severe beating at Geoff’s mercy. Geoff is standing beside him, arms crossed and rage in his eyes as he says something undecipherable. Ray pats Michael's face.

“Yeah, I’m good,” he says weakly, clears his throat and says, “I’m glad you didn’t try to follow me.”

“I knew you left, but I just assumed you were going to find the other bartender or something,” Ray shakes his head. “You didn’t come back, and, well, I asked if anyone could see you in the crowd after a while, but…I didn’t see these guys until it was too late, so here we are.”

“It’s fine, Ray,” Michael smiles weakly at him. “It was going to happen eventually.”

“What was going to happen eventually?” Jack asks sternly, having appeared in the space between Ray and friend guy. Michael can’t see Geoff anymore, but it doesn’t really matter, because as soon as his gaze moves past Jack he says, “Look at me, Michael.”

“It’s not really a long story, but I’d rather tell it back in the hotel room,” Michael says. “Can we find a pharmacy and get an ice pack?”

“Michael!” Gavin appears at the edge of the small clearing in the crowd. Everyone clearly knows what just happened and is happy to ignore the spectacle. It’s hard to tell if the bartenders even noticed. “Are you alright, boi?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replies with mock bravado. “Just a little beat up. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Yeah, well, I was going to beat up your friend until Ryan convinced me not to get arrested,” Geoff grumbles, also appearing from the crowd. He and Ryan must have hauled the guys out to the street. His gaze takes on a much softer edge as he takes in Michael’s stance - he must look disheveled as shit. “Why was a sober guy trying to fight you in the back of a bar?”

“I’ll tell you back at the hotel,” Michael sighs. “Now can I get an ice pack somewhere so I don’t have to go back to work with a bright purple eye?”

Thankfully, they do not treat him like he is made of glass during the taxi ride back to the hotel, but he does get stuck between Ray and Gavin, so it wouldn’t really have been possible between Gavin’s nonexistent sense of personal space and Ray having known him long enough to figure out he hates being pitied. As soon as they enter the hotel room, however, it is a different story. The pillows are fluffed and he is sitting on the couch before he knows what’s going on. Geoff claims the other half, throwing an arm over the back of the couch as Jack presses the bag of frozen peas they’d picked up into Michael's hand, now wrapped in one of someone’s spare T-shirts. Gavin slinks over to sit on the floor and lean against his legs - he hasn’t been talking much since they’d found him. There's no way to tell what's going through his mind.

“Alright, buddy, tell us what happened,” Geoff requests, not quietly but gently.

“I was visiting Ray back in January, and a friend of mine told me to go to Barcelona Bar for the weird shots they have, so we did,” Michael begins, wincing as his shoulder twinges when he tries to lift the impromptu ice pack to his eye. “The first guy, David, was super drunk, so when I bumped into him coming out of the bathroom he decided to fight me, and I wrecked him when he wouldn’t fuck off, but his friend showed up and beat the snot out of me, said they’d come find me and get me again sometime.”

“The same guy that was there today?” Jack asks, and Michael nods.

“It sounded like a death threat. I’ve been avoiding going to that bar or drinking at all here – no one wants another few broken ribs, man – but when you guys wanted to go, I figured,” he shrugs, grimacing. “This guy’s not going to happen to be there while we are, it’ll be fine, but, you know, I was wrong. They showed up just after we did, and while you guys were distracted by the bartender doing the weird shots, I tried to hide in the crowd, but that bar is so narrow there isn’t really anywhere to go. They found me and David tried to fight me, but I broke his nose, so his friend decided to have a crack at it. Got me pretty good, but I gave some, too.”

Geoff grins. “I mean, that’s shit, but I’m glad you fucked that guy up.”

“That David guy sounded pretty mad when we pulled his friend off you,” Ryan says carefully, and Geoff’s gaze darkens again. “Like we were being unfair breaking up the fight. I think he said something about taking us out back and shooting us in the head.”

Michael scoffs. “That guy is all bark and no bite. I’m out of practice and I got him in two hits. If he had a gun on him, he was trying to feel better about himself, and I’m sure you scared him enough. You’ll never see him again.”

“How do you feel?” Jack asks, and it sounds like he genuinely wants to know.

“Like I got punched in the face,” Michael grins wryly. “Maybe took a chair to the rib, but not as bad.”

“You get in fights a lot?” Geoff asks, side-eyeing him, obviously interested.

“I did until that guy fucked me up,” Michael replies, grinning for real now. “I think it’s time for me to take it up as a hobby again.”

Jack sighs, shifting in the armchair to better face Michael. “Please don’t do anything stupid. If you get into a dangerous situation in New Jersey, we won’t always be around to help you out.”

Michael raises an eyebrow at him. “I can take care of myself, Jack. I'm a big boy.”

“But you don’t have to,” Ryan regards him sternly. “You need to start letting other people help you, Michael. You’re only going to hurt yourself.”

“I grew up taking care of myself,” he replies readily, severely. “Old habits die hard.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll work it out of you,” Geoff says calmly, clearly attempting to diffuse the tension in the room. “Michael, you’re a stubborn piece of shit, you know that?”

“Yeah, I know,” he replies as Jack stands.

“I think it’s time for bed,” he announces, and Ray pushes away from the counter and is in the process of opening the door to the other bedroom when Geoff stops him.

“The beds in this hotel are only king-sized,” he says, holding up a hand to stop Ray from going anywhere. “But we can make it work.”

 

July 26

It takes Michael a moment to realize who is in bed next to him when he wakes up.

Gavin is wrapped around his back, an arm draped over his waist and his nose buried in Michael’s shoulder. Ray is facing him, practically melted into the mattress. Ryan is behind Ray, and Michael thinks it’s safe to assume Geoff and Jack are on Gavin’s other side, though he can’t actually tell.

This is strange, he thinks, but…nice.

As soon as Gavin had realized they’d be in the same bed he had pulled him into the bedroom and wrapped around him like a fucking spider, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves. They had, somehow, managed to make it work. He finds it a little strange waking up in a bed with five other dudes, but it also seems like something he could get used to.

No, stop that, he thinks, and he finds himself frowning as he reaches to rub the eye that isn’t fucked up. Four dudes in a relationship don’t need you to make their lives more difficult.

Ryan must have heard him move, because he leans up to look at Michael for a moment. “That’s one nasty black eye you’ve got there,” he whispers, and Michael grimaces.

“It’ll be green in a few days,” Michael whispers back. “That’s the best part.”

“I’m pretty sure the best part of a bruise is the part when is disappears,” Ryan counters.

“Are you arguing about the color of a bruise?” Jack asks incredulously, and he sounds far away enough that Geoff must be between Jack and Gavin.

“Yes,” Michael replies, having turned slightly, and now that he isn’t mumbling into the mattress his breath must tickle Ray, because he scrunches his face up in what he would insist isn’t a cute way and blinks awake.

“You’re a piece of shit,” Ray frowns. “I was in the middle of a dream, man.”

“Whatever,” Geoff says, apparently awake now, and Gavin finally stirs, halfway releasing Michael in his waking confusion. “I need to shit.”

“So eloquent,” Jack scoffs, there is some shifting on the bed, and Michael watches Geoff leave the bedroom. Jack probably figures he might as well since he’s already up, and walks through the door to the lounge as the hand Gavin has draping over Michael squeezes in a gimme fashion. Michael considers it very briefly, then moves his hand to grab Gavin's.

Gavin laces their fingers together, and Ray snickers and says, "No homo."

Ryan slides off the bed to stand, grinning widely. "Good luck," he offers, and goes into the lounge.

"You're fucked, dude," Ray says, following him. Michael shifts into a more comfortable position now that he has half of the mattress to himself. This position lands him facing Gavin, fingers intertwined, and they look at each other for a moment. The silence is peaceful.

"Oh my god," Geoff says, closing the bathroom door behind him and moving toward the door to the lounge. "You guys are gay as dicks." Michael cuts him a half-hearted glare as he leaves.

"We should get up so we can eat," Michael says, grinning when Gavin startles. "We might be able to convince them to get room service for breakfast."

Gavin is clearly excited at the prospect, because he is suddenly very animated in trying to drag Michael out of bed.

"Alright, alright, don't pull my arm out of its socket," Michael chides, and Gavin actually stops for a moment as Michael rolls his shoulder in an attempt to work the stiffness out of it. Last night's fight is coming back to him in more ways than one.

Gavin drags him out into the lounge as soon as he's out of contact with the bed. Ray is draped over Ryan on the couch, Jack is reading something in the armchair, and Geoff is leaning against the counter, phone to his ear.

"What do you dickheads want for room service?" Geoff asks, twisting the phone away from his mouth. Gavin begins listing a bunch of shit, obviously excited about food, but Michael just shrugs. He'll eat whatever they put in front of him.

He and Gavin sit on the floor beside the coffee table (more like Gavin trips over the coffee table and pulls Michael down with him), and when Jack tries to hand Michael a real ice pack this time, Gavin reaches out and snatches it from him.

He turns to Michael with a little too much concern in his eyes and presses the ice pack gently to his face. "How do you feel, boi?"

"Like I want you to stop worrying about me," he replies, and Gavin frowns. "I've done this before."

Gavin grimaces, now, and Geoff hangs up, shoves his phone in his pocket, and says, "We need to talk."

Michael would normally feel apprehensive right about now, but the way Geoff says it sounds more optimistic than anything. No one speaks as Geoff grabs the wooden desk chair and spins it around to sit at the other end of the coffee table.

"There's been this shit hanging in the air since we got here," he begins, and Ryan chuckles. Apparently he knows what's going on as Geoff indicates everyone but Michael and Ray. "The four of us have had a half-conversation about this already, but you assholes deserve to know, too."

"Get on with it, Geoff," Jack admonishes good-naturedly.

"We like you guys and wouldn't be opposed to bringing you into the relationship," he grinds out, rushing as if someone will stop him if he breathes.

Michael blinks away his surprise. He's been pretending how he feels doesn't matter, sure, but...well, it seems like the only reasoning he had doesn't work anymore.

Ray is much quicker to the draw. "What would that mean for us?"

"Eventually, we hope you'd move in with us," Ryan says. "For now, as a six-person relationship, we'd be spending some time figuring it out, but...if you hadn't noticed, we're pretty much there already."

Ray nods, and three and a half gazes turn to Michael.

"I'm not opposed, but...I'm not sure it would work." He wants to give them one last chance to back out. "I like you guys a hell of a lot, but six people in a relationship?"

"We know," Jack says, and the smile he offers is a little comforting. "We aren't sure if it'll work, either, and there’s no way it’ll be easy, but we won't know unless we try."

"Alright...I'm down," Michael says after a moment, then grins. "Does that make us all boyfriends?"

"If that's what you want to call it," Ryan says appraisingly.

"It sounds nice," Gavin agrees, smiling contagiously. "You're my boi...friend, Michael. Boyfriend."

"Super homo," Ray comments, and they're all laughing when someone knocks on the door.

"Room service is here, fuckin' finally," Geoff says, standing to make his way over to greet whoever’s brought the food. Michael watches him walk away, tattooed arm reaching for the doorknob. Gavin curls around him tighter, a hand moving to card through Michael's hair.

Yeah, this is something he could get used to.

 

June 22

MLP Michael: My plane leaves at two, gets in at six. If you're late you owe me dinner  
BrownMan: We'll be there, dude.  
GavinoFree: Michael, boi, why can't you just be here already? I miss you :(  
MLP Michael: Christ, Gavin, I'll be there in a few days  
BM Vagabond: To be fair, Gavin, we did talk about this.  
MLP Michael: Yeah yeah I should have given my two weeks earlier, I've heard it all before  
DG Geoff: He will not stop complaining about it. I think he's smothering Ray.  
JackP: He is. (JackP has attached a photo.)  
BrownMan: I came here to have a good time and Im feeling so attacked right now  
MLP Michael: Gavin, you fucking leech  
-MM: Couches have two cushions for a reason  
BM Vagabond: We may not be the best example of that.  
BrownMan: Hey, man, fitting five people on a couch is an art  
MLP Michael: Okay, dickheads, I need to pack. Stop blowing up my phone  
GavinoFree: I love you, Michael :)  
MLP Michael: Fuck off  
-MM: I love you too, boi  
-MM: I'll see you guys later  
(JackP has attached a photo.)  
DG Geoff: We'll be waiting for you.


End file.
